SHOULD a few blades of grass dare to sprout in York these days, then voila, luxury flats - sorry, apartments - seem to instantaneously appear as if by magic or Persimmon wizardry.

Quite often these edifices carry a qualifier that a percentage have to be affordable for first-time buyers.

If this is so, who are all these wealthy people buying up the rest of the properties?

They are certainly not York people.

Presumably these newly-built homes also generate many thousands of pounds of extra council tax that didn't exist before, so why the recent massive increase?

I'm sure one of the Evening Press's reliable and fluent readers will be able to supply me with answers.

Mary Morrod,

Heworth Village,

York.

Updated: 10:27 Wednesday, May 14, 2003